Monday Roundup

Rather than reading new books recently, I seem to be revisiting old favorites. Recently I had the privilege to hear Greg Mortensen (3 Cups of Tea) speak at a local event. It was fun, and the musical ensemble was the only western group who play a certain type of Pakistani music. I hear that when they play in Pakistan, they draw crowds of 15-20 thousand.

Greg Mortensen was remarkable in his un-remarkableness. If you've read the book, you know all about this extraordinary man who is making such a difference. (If you haven't read it, check out the reviews from our sidebar.) To see him in person and to hear him speak, you'd think he was just an ordinary middle-aged businessman who could stand to lose a couple pounds. He is an unpolished, not particularly charismatic speaker and he comes across as completely average, except that he really believes in what he's doing. It's amazing, and maybe the point, that someone that normal could achieve what he has. They announced at the event that a bipartisan group in the Senate has just nominated Mortensen for a Nobel.

Fans of The Tightwad Gazette will appreciate that recently I accidentally fell in love with a pre-1900 farmhouse with attached shop. We're crazy, but my husband and I are actually considering it.

Lastly, I have published my book! I'll talk more about it next month, but if you're curious, check out The Purple Elephant.

So how was your week?